This invention relates generally to air conditioning systems and, more particularly, to a mechanism for actuating the vent and exhaust doors of a room air conditioner.
A room air conditioner is a self-contained unit having outdoor and indoor sections which are divided by a transversely extending partition wall. The outdoor section includes a condenser coil and a fan for circulating outdoor air through the condenser coil to thereby cool the refrigerant flowing through the system. The indoor section includes an evaporator coil and a blower which draws in the relatively warm room air, passes it through the evaporator coil to be cooled, and then discharges the cooled air back into the room.
Rather than continuously recirculating the same room air, it is sometimes desirable to exhaust some of the stale room air to the outside. Further, it may be desirable, especially in cooler ambient temperature conditions, to bring in the outdoor air for distribution into the room. These functions have traditionally been accomplished with the use of exhaust and vent ports, respectively, which, when opened, allow the selective flow of air between the outdoor and indoor sections. The doors are commonly located in strategic positions so as to take advantage of the pressure differences to selectively cause the outdoor air to flow through the vent port into the indoor section or for the indoor air to flow through the exhaust port to the outdoor section.
Since the pressure differences are normally sufficient only for one or the other of the vent and exhaust functions but not for both simultaneously, it has become common practice to provide a single selector mechanism to operate both devices, with a single handle operating to open one door at a time. However, because of the need to locate the two doors in different locations, as required by the pressure drop needs discussed hereinabove, the control mechanism has normally been mounted on a different component from one or both of the doors. In some cases, even the vent and exhaust doors are mounted on different components. Typical of such devices is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,574 assigned to the assignee of the present invention. While effective, these devices have been relatively complex and have traditionally involved a relatively large number of interconnecting parts. Thus, besides the obvious disadvantages of complicating the assembly and operation processes, the proper spacial interrelationships between the various parts have been found to be somewhat difficult to establish and maintain. That is, not only is there a tolerance stackup from the combination of the numerous parts, but the difficulties in maintaining proper alignment in operation are exacerbated by the fact that these various components are attached to different mounting members whose relative positions are difficult to control. For example, in the system described in the above mentioned patent, the doors are mounted to the partition but the operating levers are mounted to the control box. Since the position of the control box relative to the partition may vary, it may lead to an improper fit or operation of the control mechanism interconnecting the lever and the doors.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved vent/exhaust door actuation mechanism.
Another object of the present invention is the provision in a room air conditioner for a reduced number of parts in the mechanism which operates the vent and exhaust doors.
Yet, another object of the present invention is the provision for maintaining the proper operational alignment between the various components of the vent and exhaust door actuation mechanism.
Yet, another object of the present invention is the provision for a vent/exhaust door mechanism which is easy and simple to manufacture and assemble, and is effective and reliable in use.
These objects and other features and advantages become more readily apparent upon reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.